A United Kingdom study decided to look at antibiotic overuse and see how it was causing antibiotic resistance.
The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine and has extended the average life expectancy by two decades, moving the focus from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Antimicrobials and antibiotics in particular have paved the way for major advances in cancer treatment, organ transplantation, and surgery, irrevocably changing the scope of modern medicine.
When a new antimicrobial is introduced into the body, a drug resistance to that antimicrobial comes inevitably after, sometimes quickly. The problem is that doctors are giving the 80 to 90 percent of the prescribed antibiotics in primary care, even sometimes when it is not needed. The body then has a resistance to that prescription. This would have been an issue, but companies have been steadily creating new strains of antibiotics. That is not the case anymore as the number of companies investing in this area have dwindled.
Therefore, the overprescribing of antibiotics needs to stop. There are a few methods to cut down on the excessive prescription of antibiotics. These included reducing diagnostic uncertainty as well as changing patient or doctor behavior.
The study suggests that patients avoid taking antibiotics whenever possible and managing minor infections themselves—something that can be done through the guidance of a naturopathic physician. Read the full study for more detailed information.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240113/
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.